There are products that we can live without. There are products that we don't need to live without. Let's take personal care products.
Sure. We could all simply wash with water, never put anything on our skin and never brush our teeth. But thankfully, we don't have to resort to the cavemen days just to ensure that the products in our cleaning regime weren't gathered by a child. (Pssst, girls! Did you know all those sparkles in your make-up come from a mineral that was most likely mined by a child? Just food for thought.)
So what are we to do? There are several options. You can support a company who makes a priority of ensuring slave-free products and fair treatment of all their workers. One of these is Lucky Vitamins.
This company provides a line of cosmetics called PeaceKeeper Cause-metics, including natural lipsticks, natural nail polishes, lip-gloss and more.
I'm sure there are other lines of make-up brands out there, but so far this is the only one I've found that claims to be slave-free.
But let's face it.
Most of us want to be able to pull something from the shelf of our local stores without making a separate shopping trip or paying shipping from an internet company. That's why Burt's Bee's is a good choice.
For soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and more this company can be found almost anywhere (even in bookstores!). I haven't used all their stuff so I can't speak for it overall. However, I have used their lip balm, bar soap and shampoo and it all has worked well for me. While their products are not completely organic, they strive for 99%-100% natural ingredients, making them a better choice than many other kinds of chemical-laden options. They are very transparent with their commitment to the good of nature, animals and people alike. http://www.burtsbees.com/c/commitment
If you're intrested in buying personal care products from a company that directly supports
freed-slaves and at-risk communities, check out Thistle Farms. http://store.thistlefarms.org/Default.asp. Here you will find everything from bath and body care, to room sprays and soy candles.
This company is based out of Nashville so if you enjoy buying products made in America, this is a good site for you. I've used their soaps and lip-balms and was pleased with them. But just a bit of warning, ladies - don't give in to the temptation to buy the palmwood soap just because you've always wondered what that smells like. You will smell like a man who just came in from cutting wood between two saw-horses in a stable. Trust me. I would know. Gentleman, if you want to attract the kind of ladies who adore a hard-working man who knows how to use his hands and build things, by all means, grab a bar of that soap. As for myself, I plan on trying something that smells like a flower or a baked-good next time and find another way to satisfy my curiosity about what palm-wood smells like.
